Archive for the ‘Cycling’ Category

Day 289. 49km. Patong – Koh Yao Noi

Posted: January 11, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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The endpoint today was what I had planned. The path there was somewhat different. This morning I consumed a breakfast buffet in the hung-over Patong. This evening I dined with a view over the still turquoise waters studded with kaarst islands. Party vs serenity, and in between, an island I didn’t expect to visit.

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

Actually, there are no boats that go from Phuket town to Koh Yao Noi – only from the town I cycled past in a blur yesterday. I had no desire to cycle the same freeway with a headwind. The alternative was to take a boat to a different island – Koh Yao Yai, cycle across it, and catch a further boat to Koh Yao Noi. This made for an unexpected serene bike ride across the peaceful, beautiful tropical island of Koh Yao Yai.

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Day 288. 185km. Phang Kan – Patong (Phuket)

Posted: January 10, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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I didn’t think I would be in the party capital of SE Asia this time yesterday. Look where going with the flow brought me today. The lack of boats from Phangnga to Koh Yao Noi on Sunday, the big tailwind, and the endorphine rush of cycling long distances in ‘the zone’ brought me to Patong Beach.

Patong beach at sunset

Patong beach at sunset

The boat left from the 80km distant Phangnga at 13.00, so I left early to try to make it. It was cool and misty, I was bursting with energy, and there was a tailwind. By 11 I was in Phangnga, only to find there was no boat on Sunday. There was a boat to Koh Yao Noi, however, from the north of Phuket island (a further 70km away), so I set off for it. Cycling along the freeway with music blasting in my ears, I entered the ‘zone’. I had boundless energy and simply flew along, laughing all the way. This is cool! I realised: I didn’t need to catch the boat today. I can experience the absolute opposite of my lonely beach experience – at Patong Beach. I knew this is what I wanted to do.

The freeway to Phuket

The freeway to Phuket

Sunset at Patong Beach

Sunset at Patong Beach

This place is quite a sight. An evening of mayhem before returning to serenity. Walking down the tourist drag in the early evening, I saw bars – massive ones lined with stools stretching off to the horizon. Music was pumping out onto the street in preparation for the long night. Topless men and scantily clad women thrust menus for drinks, food or other services at me as I walked past. This must be heaving with people in the evening before the people heave themselves at the end of the night. I didn’t see any heaving. I did see empty, void expressions on many faces. Tourists and sex-workers alike, some people are not happy here, and everyone has the right to be happy.

Patong

Patong

Day 243. 73km. Mengla – Na Teuy

Posted: January 10, 2016 in China, Cycling, Laos
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I have left the People’s Republic of China, and am now in Laos. I staggered over the border – I have spent all my energy cycling in China, and am ready for a tropical rest in Laos.

Na Teuy

Na Teuy

I started on the old road today. I curved its way around the landscape as expected, but, was the centre of much roadwork activity. With the peace gone, the road surface only OK, and delays while trucks did their thing, I returned to the new road, went through tunnels, and got to the border faster.

I am staying in a little village 20km over the border in Laos. Another 35km tomorrow to Louang Namtha and then a rest while I wait for Mark (who cycled with me in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) to join me.

Na Teuy

Na Teuy

Day 287. 105km. Phum Riang Beach – Phang Kan

Posted: January 9, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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I got up before dawn and walked out onto the beach, the waves lapping at my feet, and the panorama of stars laid bare above my head. And then I saw her. Majestically hanging in the sky. ‘Hello. It’s been a while. I’ve cycled from far-away climes to see you!’
The Southern Cross.

Sunrise at Phum Riang Beach

Sunrise at Phum Riang Beach

It is warm, but there is a light cool breeze. My eyes are adjusted to the dark. All I can see are stars and the silhouettes of trees. And the glimmering water. The water is calm, lapping over the damp sand before receding for the next wave. In the distance is a bright star – it is approaching. As it nears, I see a beam of light pointing forward from the star. At its side there is a red light, flashing every few seconds. Then I see a shooting star, falling from the heavens towards the water. I feel at peace here. By myself. The sand between my toes and the breeze ruffling my hair. And the Southern Cross on the horizon. The day will start soon, but now – right now – the world sleeps and time has lost its meaning.

The morning was beautiful, but, the small roads past lonely beaches was not on the agenda today. Instead were main roads with traffic extending in straight lines across the hot, dry landscape. I avoided the biggest of the roads but navigating my way along side roads with Google Maps. Tomorrow a dash down to Phanggna to catch the ferry.

Day 242. 81km. Menglun – Mengla

Posted: January 9, 2016 in China, Cycling
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The old road on the map got even wigglier and steeper than yesterday. Today I didn’t see the cycling forbidden signs, and cycled smoothly up and downhill on the new road that rarely was on land – either on massive stilts above the valley, or in carbon monoxide tunnels. I saved about 50km,10000 kcal and one day of cycling.

Banana plantation

Banana plantation

Motorbikes were also forbidden, which didn’t deter anyone. I must have cycled past at least a dozen policemen. The road was OK to cycle on.
The valleys were very steep and absolutely dense in the greenest of green foliage. Looking down from my lofty perch on a bridge, the jungle below reigned supreme. I could not help but think how hard it would have been cycling here, on the old road.

Misty mountains

Misty mountains

Mengla is the last sizable town in China. Laos – here I come!

Day 241. 65km. Mengyang – Menglun

Posted: January 8, 2016 in China, Cycling
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While curving my way up and down and around and around, I wondered what the fractal dimension was of this road. I wondered this when regarded as projected onto a 2-dimensional space (like a map), or when in its true 3-d space. In 2 dimensions, taking a scaling factor ε=1/3, and using the formula

I think the fractal dimension is the same as the Koch Curve – namely 1.2619.

Equally nerdy, I remembered the puzzle – if you have 100km to go, you can go 50km, and then have 50 to go. Then, if you go 25, you have 25 to go. Then, going 12.5, you have 12.5 to go. If you continue halving the distance travelled, you never reach the 100km. This is how I felt, winding my way in ever tighter curves, towards the Laos border. All the while either climbing or falling on the steepest of steep slopes. Its beautiful, but tomorrow I’m taking the main road with long, badly ventilated tunnels. I’ve had it with hills.

The valley

The valley

It's hilly

It’s hilly

It's hilly

It’s hilly

It's hilly

It’s hilly

Day 286. 134km. Sawi – Phum Riang Beach

Posted: January 8, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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The descent down the east coast continued along small, quiet roads. Far from the noise and traffic of the main road, I meandered through a palm-studded landscape with regular beaches. The wind picked up as I set up my tent on the beach. Empty coconuts aren’t heavy enough to keep the pegs from blowing away.. ☺

A beautiful beach. Shame about the rubbish.

A beautiful beach. Shame about the rubbish.

Today I passed 25000km from when I started in Eindhoven.

25000km

25000km

Tomorrow I head across to the other side of the peninsula. The excitement mounts.

Bridge on the back road

Bridge on the back road

Day 240. 85km. Puwen – Mengyang

Posted: January 7, 2016 in China, Cycling
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My bum hurts. There is no respite from the constant up and down, and today I crawled into Mengyang rubbing my backside. It got a good workout.

Tea fields

Tea fields

I cycled the ‘old road’ which winds around every corner, climbs and drops over every undulation. The neighbouring freeway rests on stilts, flattening the landscape and smoothing the ride. Then it leaves off into a tunnel, only to be seen 30km of wiggles later. The old road is almost void of vehicles. This is so precious. I realise that the constant noise of cars has been deafening. Traffic noise pulls the conscious away from the now, away from nature, and into a whir of stress. I cycled through a cacophony of nature. The jungle is loud. The constant background of crickets and cicadas, with a high-pitched cricket variant. Then the birds. Frogs. I cycle, listening, immersing myself in this natural paradise. Every turn reveals new trees, plants, animals, and new sounds.

And then I heard of the elephants. Excitement. Imagine seeing an elephant on the road. The elephants are to be found in the ‘Wild Elephant Valley’, amongst the busloads of elephant watchers. I rode straight past, and back into the chirps of the cicadas.

The road

The road

This morning was a market breakfast, followed by the realisation that Sydney is only 8973km.

The market in Puwen

The market in Puwen

Not far to Sydney

Not far to Sydney

Day 285. 132km. Hat Bang Bird – Sawi

Posted: January 7, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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I planned the cycle trip route before I left Eindhoven– in more detail at the beginning, and less at the end. Regularly en route the plan has changed – sometimes just by a little bit affecting a day or two, and sometimes by a lot, affecting months of cycling. I had been planning to cross to the western coast of Thailand soon. Today I met two groups of cyclists, and that all changed.

A french cyclist with some great tips.

A french cyclist with some great tips.

The west coast has only the main (busy) road, whereas the east coast is beautiful. I now have a new itinerary and several islands I need to visit. Being flexible is the name of the game. Koh Yao Noi, Koh Lanta and Koh Rok – here I come. (Although Koh Rok was on the agenda already.)

The road again followed the coast for a while. The scout/girl guide camp left a bit of rubbish on the beach.

The girl guides and scouts were naughty

The girl guides and scouts were naughty

There were some views,

View from the temple

View from the temple

and some back roads (meaning I could avoid the freeway-like main road entirely).

And just before my destination I was changing batteries on my phone when a woman pulled up on her bike, took out her phone, and took multiple selfies with me. She then followed me wherever I went, videoing me cycling behind her with her phone. It felt like in China.

I'm famous

I’m famous

I lost her in the town. She meant well, but I just wanted to be alone. ☺

Back road

Back road

Day 239. 90km. Ning’er – Puwen

Posted: January 6, 2016 in China, Cycling
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Tea covering the steep, green hills. And now banana plantations. It gets lusher and lusher. And no less strenuous.

The tea hills

The tea hills

The day’s cycle is determined by the passes. I sleep at the bottom of them, and do one, or at most two 500-600m climbs in a day. The rest of the day is up and down anyway. Today I’m at the bottom of the next 500m climb, in the banana plantation village of Puwen.

The tea hills

The tea hills

The tea hills

The tea hills

The tea hills

The tea hills

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